Draw-head and coupling mechanism for railway-cars



I (No Model.)

J. HATFIELD. DRAW HEAD AND COUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS.

No. 451,481. Patented May 5,1891.

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L a WT Q N'ITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HATFIELD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DRAW -HEAD AND COUPLING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,481, dated May 5,1891.

Application filed December 11, 1890. Serial No. 374,272. (No model.)

tomatically released by the link in the adja-' cent draw-head, toelevate and adjust said link with reference to the height of adjacentdraw-head, and also to construct said drawheads in such a manner as toshield and protect the device for lifting and adjusting said link whenthe draw-heads are forced together, as will more fully hereinafterappear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of thelower end portion of a car with my improved draw-head and couplingmechanism connected thereto, the

device for elevating and retaining the coupling-pin in an elevatedposition being shown with said pin elevated, while the swinging arm forelevating and adjusting the link is shown housed within the recess inthe face of the draw-head in its normal position. Fig.2 is a sideelevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the coupling-pin loweredand the link in position elevated to engage with and unlock thecoupling-pin in the adjacent drawhead; also, one form of friction devicefor retaining said link in an elevated position until forced to place inthe adjacent draw-head and secured therein by its coupling-pin. Fig. 3is a front or face view of my improved drawhead, the lower portion ofthe swinging arm for elevating the link being broken away to show therecess in one side of said head in which said arm is housed when thedrawheads come in contact.

My invention consists of a hollow drawhead A, having a recessed orcountersunk portion a at one side of its contact-face, as more clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3, with a swing ing arm B suitably connected tosaid head and adapted to rest within said recess a when the draw-headsare brought together.

My invention also consists of suitable mechanism for operating thelifting-arm B and for holding the coupling-pin in an elevated positionuntil automatically released by the link in the adjacent draw-head, ashereinafter set forth.

The preferred form of mechanism for retaining the coupling-pin in anelevated position in the draw-head is that shown, and consists of agravity-hook D, extending through a slot (not shown) in the bottom ofthe drawhead and pivoted between suitable lugs, as

d, cast to said bottom portion of the head at each side of the slot. Thelower portion of this hook D is heavier than its upper portion, whichhas the tendency to cause said upper hooked portion to impinge againstthe coupling-pin E when lowered, as shown in Fig. 2, and to advancebeneath said pin when the latter is elevated above said hook, whichlatter acts as a support for the pin when elevated, as shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for elevating the'couplingpin is preferably thatshown, andconsists of a lever bent, as shown at e, e, and c and suitably connectedto the end of the car in a rotatable position, an intermediate rod 6being hooked into one end of lever c and at the other end looselyconnected to the couplingpin E, as shown. This compound lever e e c isoperated by a crank-lever F, connected to the end of the car in arotatable position, the hooked portion f of said lever being located atthe rear of lever portion 6, as shown in Fig. 1. It is preferred toemploy two of the crank-levers F, one at each side of the car, as shown.

The operation of this feature of my invention is as follows: Theoperator, in order to elevate the coupling-pin in the draw-head, graspsthe outer free end of lever F, pulls it away from the car, whichoperation causes a corresponding elevation of the hooked portion-f, andwith it the portion a, rod e and coupling-pin E are elevated, and sosoon as the pin is elevated at its lower portion above the hook D theupper portion of the latter vibrates forward beneath the pin, at whichtime the operator releases his hold on lever F, permitting the pin tofall and rest on the top portion of said hook, in which position the pinwill remain until automatically released, as will presently bedescribed.

ICO

llaving described the preferable form of mechanism for elevating andretaining the coupling-pin in an elevated position and its operation, Iwill now describe the preferred mechanism for elevating and adjustingthe link J in my draw-head to engage with the hook D and automaticallyrelease the coupling-pin in the adjacent draw-head. This feature Iaccomplish by means of avibrating arm 13, preferably bent as shown, theupper portion of said arm being connected to the upper portion of thedraw-headin a rotatable position, the lower angular portion of said armextending across one vertical contactface of the draw-head and alongtheinner top portion of the lower horizontal contact-face thereof in therecess a when in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1. To the bottomof the car are loosely connected the vibrating bars 7 to the free endsof which the horizontal cross-bar G is rigidly connected, said latterbar extending entirely across the bottom portion of the car, ready ofaccess from either side thereof. This cross-bar G and arm 13 areconnected by means of rod g, one end of said rod being hooked into loopZ) of the arm and at the other end hooked into an eye 9 on said bar G.The link J is elevated and adjusted with reference to the adjacentdraw-head by swinging the bar G outward, which movement, through themedium of rod g, causes the lower angular portion of arm I to swingoutward and upward away from its recess a, as shown in Fig. 2, thuselevating and adjusting said link in proper position. So soon as thelink enters the adjacent drawhead the former strikes the hook D, causingit to recede from beneath the coupling-pin, permitting the latter todrop through said link, thus coupling the cars.

\Vhen operated without any catch or friction holding device, it isnecessary that the operator hold the vibrating bar G outward in anelevated position until the link enters the adjacent draw-head in themanner described; but, if desired, suitable means may be provided tohold said barin an elevated position after once raised, as shown in Fig.2. \Vhen constructed as shown, this device for retaining the bar G andlink J in an elevated and adjusted position consists of a bar K, thelatter being hooked at one end in the loop I) of arm B, the other end ofsaid bar passing through and sliding in a bracket L, made fast to theprojecting piece M, made fast to the bottom of the car, as shown in Fig.i. \Vithin the bracket L is pivoted the lever N in such a position asthat its lower face will bear against the upper face of the enlargedportion 7.: of bar K, thus producing friction. This enlarged portion kof bar K is so arranged that so soon as the bar G and arm B are swungoutward this enlarged portion 7.? is drawn forward under the lower faceof lever N, elevating the latter, said lever being sufiiciently weightedto hold said bar, arm, and link in position until forced back to placeby the contactof the two drawheads. So soon as the draw-heads come incontact the arm 13 is forced backward and with it the bar K, and so soonas the bar is forced backward a slight distance the enlarged portion 7.:is forced from beneath the lever N, the latter dropping on the lug 72(shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) in said bracket, at which time the barG and arm B are free to swing back to place, the latter entering therecess a. in the draw-head, and is thus securely protected from contactwith the adjacent draw-head.

The advantages of my invention are numerous and apparent. The recessedor countersunk portion a across a portion of the face of the draw-headin which the swinging arm B rests when in its normal position alfords asecure protection for said arm as the drawheads are brought together.This recess a, being formed only across one vertical contactface andalong the top of the lower horizontal contact-face of each draw-head,permits of a continuous smooth face around said head, except where therecess crosses the one vertical face, and each draw-head being an exactcounterpart when placed on different cars to face each other the smoothvertical face of one head will strike the vibrating arm and effectuallydrive it home to place within its recess.

The means afforded for elevating and retainin g the coupling-pin in anelevated position to be automatically released in the manneraforedescribed, as Well as the means for elevating and adjusting thelink with reference to its adjacentdraw-head, both of which operationsare accomplished without having to enter between the cars, are valuablefeatures to prevent accident, and also for the purposes set forth.

It is evident that the device herein set forth for elevating thecoupling-pin may be used in connection with devices other than thatherein specifically set forth or'vice versa. The device for elevatingand adjusting the link may be used in connection with other devices forelevating the coupling-pin without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A draw-head having a recess across one of its vertical contact-faces,said recess extending along the inner top face of the lower horizontalcontact-face and terminating in the inner edge of the opposite verticalface, the contact portion of said latter face being smooth and unbroken,said draw-head l1av in g a swinging arm connected thereto, the angularportion of which rests normally within said recess, and suitable meansfor elevating said arm, for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with a draw-head having in its contact-face a groovedrecess and a vibrating arm rotatably connected to said drawhead, thelower angular portion of said arm resting normally in said recess, thegravityhook D pivotally connected to said draw ITO head and extending upinto the hollow portion thereof, coupling-pin E, and suitable means forelevating said arm and pin, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a draw-head having in its contact-face a groovedrecess and a vibratin g arm rotatably connected to said drawhead, thelower angular portion of said arm resting in said recess, the rod g, andswinging bar G, said rod being loosely connected to said arm and bar,for the purposes set forth.

at. In combination with a draw-head having a grooved recess in itscontact-face and a vibrating arm resting normally in said recess,substantially as set forth, the rod g, swinging bar G, said rodbeingloosely connected to said arm and bar, bar K, loosely connected atone end to said arm, the other end of bar K having an enlarged portion7a, the free end of said latter bar resting in a bracket L, and lever N,pivoted in said bracket and adapted to impinge against the enlargedportion is, as set forth.

5. In combination with a drawhead constructed substantially as set forthand having a gravity-hook pivotally connected thereto and extending upinto the hollow portion thereof, the coupling-pin E, rod e lever e e 6and crank-lever F, the hooked portion f of saidlever F being locatedadjacent to and back of lever portion e, the latter being looselyconnected with said coupling-pin by means of rod 6 as set forth.

6. A draw-head having a recess across one only of its verticalcontact-faces and along the upper edge of its lower horizontalcontact-face, as set forth, in combination with a vibrating arm suitablyconnected to said draw-head, the lower horizontal portion of said armresting normally in said recess, and means, substantially as set forth,for elevating said arm, for the purposes set forth.

7. The means herein set forth for elevating and adjusting the link of acoupler, the same consisting of vibrating bars g pivotally connected tothe bottom of the car, and bar G, rigidly connected to the free ends ofsaid bars, said bar G extending entirely across the bottom of said car,in combination with suitable connecting mechanism between said bar and50 link, substantially as set forth.

JAMES HATFIELD. Witnesses:

O. M. HILL, ED STREHLI.

